Flower-stemmer.



W. B. DRAKE.

FLOWER STEMMER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1 23.29, 1912.

1,064,892, v Patented June 17, 1913.

CGL UMBIA PMNOORAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

WILLET B. DRAKE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

FLOWER-STEMMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,666.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLET B. DRAKE, citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flower-Stemmers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved stemming device for flowers.

It is customary for florists in making up design work to bind the stems of the flowers, by means of wire, to tooth picks. This consumes considerable time, however, and unless the work is artistically done, the tooth picks will show and render the piece unsightly.

It is therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a stemming device which may be applied in a moments time to a flower stem which will not be liable to become disarranged, and which will not be unsightly, even if exposed to view.

It is a further aim of the invention to provide a device for this purpose which may be manufactured at such low cost as to be less expensive to use than an ordinary tooth pick and the binding wire usually employed, and which may be repeatedly used.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied to the stem of a flower. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device removed and with the gripping finger thereof in normal position. Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing the gripping finger bent down to gripping position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and inclicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

The stemming device embodying the present invention is illustrated as formed from a single length of wire which is sufficiently stout tosupport and firmly hold the stem of the flower to which it is applied, but which may be readily bent by the fingers to properly engage and grip the stem. The length of wire from which the device is formed is straight or of right line extent throughout the greater portion of its length, resulting in a stem 1 which is to be inserted in the moss bed of the wire frame of the piece to be made up. At the upper end of the stem 1, the wire is bent to form a relatively small eye or loop 2 which is radially disposed with respect to the stem and lies substantially in a plane therewith. Beyond the eye 2 the strand is bent to extend across the stem 1, as indicated at 3 and has its terminal portion bent to extend substantially at right angles forwardly from the stem and from the plane occupied by the eye 2 as indicated at a. This portion t is relatively short, being preferably only of sufiicient length to extend entirely across the eye 2 when bent down. Itwill be noted from the drawing that the bend 3 is located substantially directly opposite the axis of the eye 2 so that when the portion 4 is bent to extend across the eye 2, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing, it will transect the axis of the eye.

In applying the device to a flower stem, the stem is placed upon that side of the eye 2 beyond which the portion 4 of the device projects and the said portion 4 is then bent down to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, engaging over the stem and binding the same firmly against the eye. By having the bend 8 so located that when the portion 4: is bent down to extend diametrically across the eye 2, the eye will bear at two points against the stem of the flower, and the portion 4 will bear against the stem at the opposite side thereof at a point between the two first mentioned bearing points. In this manner, the flower stem is firmly gripped and held against displacement and in such position that it will extend or lie beside the stem 1 of the device.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the stemming device embodying the present invention may be readily and quickly applied to a flower stern and when applied will firmly grip the same and that due to the peculiar location of the portion 4: with respect to the eye 2, the flower stem will be held firmly in position against or beside the stem of the device. It will further be apparent that the device may be repeatedly used, if desired, by merely bending the portion 4 back to its original position, the said portion constituting a pliable finger which is m ovable to position to firmly hold a flower stem against the eye 2.

It will of course be understood that the eye 2 may be circular, as shown in the drawing, or that it may assume any other desired form, the idea of the invention being to provide a stem having at one end a head so formed as to afford a two-point bearing for a flower stem and a finger which is adapted to be bent into engagement. at a point between the two first mentioned points. It will be further understood that if desired the device may be formed from resilient wire and the finger t may then be positioned to normally extend across the eye 2, and being sprung away from the eye at the time of insertion of the flower stem and then allowed to spring back in place prising a strand of wire bent to form a loop adjacent one of its terminals, the terminal of'said strand adjacent said loop being disposed transversely across the loop, and arranged to resiliently engage the stem of -'a flower, the body portion of the strand being disposed to extend parallel with said stem.

3. A device of the class described comprising a strand of wire, said strand being formed with a loop adjacent one of its terminals, the terminal of said strand adjacent said loop being bent to engage the loop and support the stem of a flower in contact with the upper and lower portions of the same.

A 4:. A device of the class described comprising a stem, a loop formed at one end of the stem, and an integral finger disposed to extend across the loop to hold the stem finger being disposed across one side of the loop.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLET B. DRAKE. [L. s] Witnesses RAYMOND K. MILLs,

MARTHA J. MILLs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fiv'e cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

of a flower in contact with the same, the 40 

